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Cattle Cull
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the Government's plans for emergency incineration provision to help clear the backlog of over-30-month cull cattle carcases in each region; and what is the timetable for their implementation; [5763]
- (2) what plans he has for considering proposals to construct regional incinerators for the incineration of cattle carcases; [5764]
(3) what progress has been made on the scheme for existing power station furnaces to be utilised for incineration of carcases; and when he expects any such scheme to be in place. [5765]
Mr. Baldry: The Government have no plans for emergency incineration provision for over-30-month scheme cattle carcases. Incineration, however, does have an important part to play in the scheme and the Government are pursuing the prospect of direct carcase incineration with interested companies. A competitive tender exercise was held in June for the provision of incineration services as a means of disposing of some of the carcases of animals slaughtered under the OTMS over and above those services already provided on a limited basis for BSE suspect cases and casualty animals. Following evaluation of all the offers received, the Intervention Board has issued letters of intent to nine companies to provide incineration capacity over the country.
The Government have managed to increase the slaughter rate under the OTMS in recent weeks. It has increased from 23,000 in the third week of August to around 60,000 by the middle of November. The backlog of animals on farms at 2 November has been registered at just under 330,000 animals and, at current disposal rates, the backlog in England and Wales is expected to be cleared by christmas.
There are no proposals to incinerate carcases in power stations. The possibility of burning materials derived from rendered carcases--that is, meat and bonemeal and tallow--in power stations is under consideration and combustion trials have been carried out at a number of facilities. No decision will be made on any option until the test results have been fully evaluated. In considering destruction options, full weight is given to protecting the environment and human health.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 284
Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many carcases, from the BSE over 30-month and calf slaughter schemes, are currently in refrigerated storage, by location, at the latest available date. [6228]
Mr. Baldry:
All calf carcases are consigned direct to rendering. The numbers of carcases of over 30-month cattle held in storage, by location as at 18 November are set out as follows:
| Location | Number of carcases |
|---|---|
| Avonmouth | 4,782 |
| Cambridge | 3,362 |
| Craven Arms | 6,017 |
| Exeter | 1,936 |
| Gainsborough | 20,724 |
| Gillingham (Kent) | 16,174 |
| Grimsby | 3,117 |
| Hereford | 1,182 |
| Hull | 5,114 |
| Isle of Grain | 5,930 |
| Liverpool | 918 |
| London | 1,764 |
| Manchester | 369 |
| Newcastle | 2,605 |
| Paddock Wood | 13,016 |
| Preston | 357 |
| Richmond, Yorkshire | 533 |
| Sheffield | 3,008 |
| Stoke on Trent | 1,780 |
| Wigan | 5,593 |
| Conan Bridge | 9,479 |
| Aberdeen | 1,257 |
| Locharbriggs | 3,786 |
| Glasgow | 917 |
| Inverness | 7,628 |
| Enniskillen | 1,834 |
| Ardglass | 3,054 |
| Dundrum | 334 |
| Craigavon | 14,202 |
| Gaerwen | 1,155 |
| Cardiff | 2,775 |
| Newport, Wales | 2,547 |
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what competitive tenders he has obtained for the incineration of carcases, from the BSE over-30-month scheme; and if he will list the successful bidders indicating in each case the numbers involved. [6231]
Mr. Baldry: The Intervention Board received 35 responses from interested parties who were shortlisted to tender for the incineration of carcases from the over-30-month scheme. The nine respondents which were offered a contract, subject to their obtaining all necessary licences and consents, are listed, together with their indicative weekly carcase capacity:
Bronzeoak: 2,800
Canfield: 5,000
Durga: 1,000
Euromet: 570
P. J. Hayman and Sons: 200
Kingsclere: 360
Sacone: 1,500
TRG: 200
WRE Services: 1,200.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 285
Live Animal Exports
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what route for crossing the channel was declared in the journey plan in respect of the consignment of sheep rejected by P and O in the week beginning 4 November; what steps were taken to safeguard the animals' welfare between their being rejected and their eventual export; and if he will make a statement. [6324]
Mrs. Browning: A vehicle was refused passage on a P and O cross-channel ferry at approximately 2300 on 7 November. The vehicle returned to a lairage in the vicinity of Dover where the sheep were unloaded. The incident is under investigation by the enforcement authority and it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Quarantine
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people have been prosecuted for contravention of the quarantine regulations in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [6312]
Mrs. Browning: The Ministry instituted prosecutions against one individual in 1993, and two individuals--in relation to the same premises--in 1995. The latter case has yet to be tried. The local authorities also have responsibilities in this area and records of their prosecution activity are not readily available to the Ministry. Details could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many animals have been seized entering the United Kingdom in contravention of the quarantine regulations in each of the (a) ports, (b) airports and (c) channel tunnel in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [6313]
Mrs. Browning: The information is not held in the exact format requested.
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | |||||
| Heathrow | 33 | 15 | 22 | 12 | 22 |
| Gatwick | 28 | 53 | 46 | 8 | 19 |
| Manchester | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| Other | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
| Port | |||||
| Dover | 24 | 32 | 37 | 49 | 38 |
| Portsmouth | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Folkestone | 2 | -- | -- | 1 | 4 |
| Ramsgate | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Southampton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -- |
| Felixstowe | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Other | 11 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 7 |
| Channel Tunnel | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 |
| Other/unknown means of entry | 27 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 286
Calf Herds (Banned Antibiotics)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's policy on testing calf herds for banned antibiotics; and if he will make a statement. [6314]
Mrs. Browning: Samples of calf kidney are tested for the presence of residues of the antibiotic chloramphenicol, which is banned under Council regulation 2377/90/EEC, under the Ministry's non-statutory residues surveillance programme. Thirteen samples were tested in 1995 and 14 have been tested to date in 1996. They were all negative. Samples of cattle kidney are also tested and there was no positive among 41 samples tested in 1995 and 22 tested to date in 1996. Samples of cattle kidney are also tested for chloramphenicol under the Ministry's statutory residues programme. None was positive from the 100 tested in 1995 or the 67 tested to date in 1996.
The results of this surveillance are published in the Veterinary Medicine Directorate's annual report on surveillance for veterinary residues and updated quarterly in its Medicines Act veterinary information service newsletter.
Arable Area Payments
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many payments were made in England in 1995-96 under the arable area payments scheme between (a) £0 and £5,000, (b) £5,001 and £10,000, (c) £10,001 and £15,000, (d) £15,001 and £20,000, (e) £20,001 and £25,000, (f) £25,001 and £50,000, (g) £50,001 and £75,000, (h) £75,001 and £100,000, (i) £100,001 and £150,000, (j) £150,001 and £200,000, (k) £200,001 and £250,000, (l) £250,001 and £300,000, (m) £300,001 and £350,000, (n) £350,001 and £400,000, (o) £400,001 and £450,000, (p) £450,001 and £500,000, (q) £500,000 and £999,999 and (r) £1 million and over. [6316]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The following table sets out the number of payments made by the Ministry under the 1995 arable area payments scheme in the bands requested. Some claimants will have received more than one payment.
| Size band | Number of payments |
|---|---|
| (a) £0 and £5,000 | 34,012 |
| (b) £5,001 and £10,000 | 11,746 |
| (c) £10,001 and £15,000 | 7,404 |
| (d) £15,001 and £20,000 | 4,570 |
| (e) £20,001 and £25,000 | 3,212 |
| (f) £25,001 and £50,000 | 7,507 |
| (g) £50,001 and £75,000 | 2,421 |
| (h) £75,001 and £100,000 | 1,100 |
| (i) £100,001 and £150,000 | 771 |
| (j) £150,001 and £200,000 | 238 |
| (k) £200,001 and £250,000 | 120 |
| (l) £250,001 and £300,000 | 40 |
| (m) £300,001 and £350,000 | 16 |
| (n) £350,001 and £400,000 | 15 |
| (o) £400,001 and £450,000 | 8 |
| (p) £450,001 and £500,000 | 14 |
| (q) £500,001 and £999,999 | 12 |
| (r) £1 million and over | 4 |
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 287
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